


James Finds Some Good Things

by Dragonlady31



Series: The Rouge Blanc Universe [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:55:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23152843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonlady31/pseuds/Dragonlady31
Summary: In a world where Voldemort never rose to power, James Potter must step into responsibility much sooner when his parents die in a sudden accident. Finding his new duties overwhelming, he looks to Severus Snape to help. Eventually, James, Lily, and Severus find the happily-ever-after they all need with each other.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, James Potter/Severus Snape, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape
Series: The Rouge Blanc Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664353
Comments: 18
Kudos: 240





	James Finds Some Good Things

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story changes one thing: Tom Riddle wasn't born under a love spell, and therefore a lot of things didn't happen. Most of those things are beyond the scope of this single story, but overall would contribute to a less tense atmosphere at Hogwarts. Therefore, while James and Severus have a fraught background, it's not as bad as the book canon portrays. (Which also means that I've converted the forced exposure scene into something more mild.)
> 
> Another thing that mostly gets glossed over in this story is an original concept called the Rouge Blanc. I may expand on it in future stories, but the basic idea is that an experienced Wizarding couple (the Rouge) invites a young Wizarding couple (the Blanc) to become intimate with them. This is seen as an intense mentorship situation in which the older couple helps the younger couple sexually, socailly, magically, etc. It's very encouraged, especially among more traditional families.

James's parents died two years after he had graduated from Hogwarts, one year after his marriage to Lily, and one day after he received his first Rouge Blanc letter.

Sirius slid into the seat next to James. His dark mourning robes were rumpled and his hair skewed every which way but take, but James had never been more thankful that his best friend was with him.

"Did Regulus find out what happened?" James whispered.

Sirius leaned closer. "Apparently, it was a bad batch of portkeys. An accident with the department of mysteries, of course. They tried to find and destroy all the affected portkeys, but there were a few that got through."

"Damn. Mom and Dad just wanted a nice weekend in Florence to get away from the grey." James sagged in his chair.

"Another hour, and we can throw everyone out for evening watch," Sirius whispered. "We can tell them we're going traditional with the Evening Watch. Light the candles ourselves and all that. Can you hold on till then?"

James nodded, then swore softly. "Fuck, Pads. I'm not prepared for this. I can't be Lord of House Potter. I'm barely twenty!"

Sirius patted him on the shoulder and left his hand there. "Fuck if I know, Prongs. But you have me, for what it's worth."

They both lapsed into silence until the next mourner found his way to James for condolences. For James, the next hour passed in an elastic blur, until he shook his last hand and watched Sirius and Remus push the last of the visitors out the door. Lily found him and slumped exhausted into his side.

Once the door closed, the four friends silently lit the candles in the viewing room and held their vigil. James very much doubted that either Fleamont or Euphemia would decide to become house ghosts, but it was custom.

As the evening wore on, Lily fell asleep stretched out on the emerald settee. The young men found themselves gathered around the fireplace speaking in hushed tones so as not to wake her.

"I'm not ready for the Investiture Ceremony tomorrow," James said. "I don't want to be ready."

Remus leaned in. "You can't postpone it a few days.?"

Sirius shook his head. "Not when there's a house like this or when you've got the kind of family magic the Potters have. It's too dangerous."

James looked darkly into the flames and muttered, "We just got our first Rouge Blanc letter this week. Lily and I had picked out a nice couple. We were pretty sure they'd ask us." He fiddled with his wedding band. "Their letter came in yesterday. Right as the funeral director was leaving."

"Fuck." Sirius drew out the whispered curse. "That's- damn."

Remus looked between the two. "You can't be a blanc if you take on the Potter Lordship?"

"Maybe if we had already been Bound. But not now."

Silence reigned again until Sirius ventured, "I suppose you could still meet with them. Not as rouge and blanc, but as a young Lord seeking advice from an older peer. It wouldn't be the same, but it might be better than nothing."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was how James found himself standing in the Longbottom foyer a week after his Investiture Ceremony waiting to speak with Longbottom Senior.

"You have my sincerest condolences, James. I admired your father and thought he was a good addition to our community." Peregrine Longbottom was a distinguished gentleman who sported long wavy silver hair above pale blue eyes. James sincerely hoped that he would possess an equal dignity when he was that age. 

"As you know, Peregrine, my wife and I will be unable to accept your generous invitation. It was our sincerest hope that we would be able to bond with you and Augusta in this way, but the duties of the Potter lordship prevent me from being able to obligate myself any further." James paused and took a breath. "However, if you would be so generous, I would appreciate the advice and wisdom of an older wizard who is well versed in the traditional duties of a Lord."

Peregrine settled a hand on James's shoulder and pulled him into a hug. "My dear boy, you have only to ask, and I would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can. I know that one is never prepared to lose a parent this suddenly or this early." He patted James's back gently and asked, "What advice in particular are you in need of?"

James returned Peregrine's hug and confessed, "I don't really know where to start. We buried them and I've been Invested with the Potter Magic, but I don't know what to do now."

Peregrine gestured them both into the comfy chairs that flanked the fireplace and sat thoughtfully for a moment, considering what to tell James.

Finally, he said, "I think the best place to start would be by finding a loyal individual to be your House Seneschal."

At James confused look, he elaborated. "You should find someone that you can trust -- whether you like them or not or whether they like you or not -- to do what's best for your House. Ideally, it would be a wizard of some social standing but without complicated ties to other wizarding houses. Your best friend would be the first choice, but Sirius is too closely tied to the House of Black even now." 

He paused and then asked facetiously, "You don't happen to know any long lost Heirs of extinct wizarding Houses do you?"

James thought of that school day when he had lifted Severus Snape into the air and watched the “property of the Half Blood Prince” flutter to the ground. He shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, but he and I have detested each other since Hogwarts."

Peregrine smiled gently at the young man and patted his knee. "One of the trying parts of being Heir to a magical House is that we must often set aside personal feelings and past grievances to do what is best for our families. Is he someone with whom you could trust Lily and any future children? Is he the loyal type who could set aside his personal dislike of you in order to do what is best?"

James sighed. "I know he would do almost anything for Lily. But he's not grown up in the Wizarding World, so I don't know how much he knows of what it means to be a Seneschal for an ancient House."

Mr. Longottom leaned back. “This is the easy part. Our Houses have long traditions of working with Seneschals in a unique and practical way very different from the Master or Mistress of the House. The important part here is not the practical day-to-day manners -- those can be learned and the House often has detailed records -- but whether they have the strength of character to fill that position. I'd recommend you and Lily have a very long conversation about who would be the best person for you.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over supper that night, James told Lily about his afternoon visit with Mr. Longbottom and laid out his suggestion for their next step. As soon as he mentioned finding a Seneschal, Lily's eyes lit up and she immediately suggested Severus.

“I know that you never got along well at school, but Severus was my best friend growing up. He is a man of his word and would fulfill his duty to us even if he never comes to like you.”

James sighed and looked down. “I knew as soon as Mr. Longbottom started describing what we needed that Severus would be the best choice for us. I'd prefer Sirius or Remus or even Peter, but none of them will work. Do you think Severus would even say yes?

Lily nodded. “I think if I were to ask him and to explain the situation, he would say yes. I know he’s unhappy with his current job and not sure what to do after he finishes his potion scholarship. He interviewed with Dumbledore the other day for a teaching position, but I don't think that went well.”

“Really don't think that man should ever be teaching children,” James grumbled.

“Yes, well I don't think he has many options. So I'll ask him, and we can only hope for the best.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lily's conversation with Severus was much shorter than she had expected it to be. She had expected to have to cajole him into even considering her offer but as soon as she brought it up, Severus agreed. Shocked, she asked him why.

“My current position as apothecary’s assistant leaves much to be desired. The hours are inconvenient, the management is short-sided, and the job prevents me from having the time I need for my studies.” He sneered. “As I'm sure House Potter can provide me with an adequate potions dungeon, and as I'm sure James cannot be more annoying than the people I have to interact with on a daily basis in that shop, I would consider this position an improvement.

“You understand that we are looking for a long-term position?” Lily asked.

Severus looked at her seriously. “I understand. There will of course be a trial, but as long as we can survive each other's presence, and I have the time and space to conduct my potions experiment, I think this position would not be repugnant to me.”

Lily leaned over her coffee and smiled at him. “Then, my only question is, when can you start?”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And this was how James found himself moving Severus Snape's belongings into his house only a month later. So far, the long distance part of their association had gone well, as Severus had already begun some of his planning and scheduling duties. He had visited the house a few weeks prior to participate in the ritual that would make him Seneschal of the House. He informed James that the House tickler had shown up the next morning. Since then, he had been fulfilling his role admirably, and he and James had been able to remain civil if not friendly.

Most of the baggage that Severus moved into their house went down to the potions dungeon. James noticed how few items actually made it to what was now Severus's room. A hot feeling squirmed in his guts as he remembered how often the Marauders had teased Severus for what he now realized were simply the realities of being a poor kid from a poor family.

When Severus was completely moved in and had taken up his duties fully, James found that his life improved immeasurably. He now had the time to deal with some of the practical magical issues of being Lord Potter as well as some of the political and social obligations that he had been procrastinating with the excuse of his parents’ recent demise. Now that Severus was taking care of much of the daily running of the estate and the planning and scheduling and other paperwork, James would be expected to deal with the broader social and political duties of Lord Potter. As the year progressed and James had to work in close contact with Severus to collaborate on estate issues, he found that this contact led to a wary camaraderie. At the end of the year, he even found himself willingly going to Severus's master's graduation and helping to plan the surprise party in celebration.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

James collected the last of the Firewhisky bottles and Vanished them.

“Thank you, love. I hate dealing with those in the morning. They’re so brown.” Lily collapsed into an armchair, her grey silk dress pooling around her. If she was complaining about colors, James knew she was tipsy, but not completely wasted.

Severus snorted from where he lounged on the floor. “We all know that you two will wake up, have hangover sex, and not make an appearance downstairs until I have already taken care of the mess.”

“How do you look so posh sitting on the floor, Snape?” James realized he might be a little drunk too.

Severus waved his arm, his black graduation robe flopping. “Practice.”

“Sitting on the floor or looking posh?” Lily giggled.

A gleam lit his eye. “It’s a Slytherin skill. They make all the first and second years sit on the floor like little ponces until we can do it in our sleep. Or when very, very drunk.”

James yawned and decided to prop up the fireplace for a while. He listened to his wife and his seneschal banter back and forth, becoming progressively sillier, and found his eyes drifting closed. He roused a moment later, to find both Severus and Lily staring at him. When they burst into giggles, he scowled and demanded what they found so funny.

“You were snoring against the fireplace, love. We should get you to bed.” Lily was still laughing at him, but James liked her suggestion and decided to forgive her.

A strong arm wrapped around his waist, and James looked up to see Severus supporting both him and Lily. This was good, because the stairs were going to be a bit tricky, and James had promised his mother a long time ago never to Apparate while drunk. He patted Severus’s dark shoulder and leaned into him as he pushed and pulled them all up the stairway. “I won’t tell anyone, but you’re a good sort, Severus,” he drawled.

“And you’re drunk, Potter.” But Severus tightened his grip and hauled them the last bit up the stairs.

They stumbled into the master bedroom, and James fell into the bed. Severus looked at the man for a second and then sighed, bending to remove his shoes. Lily had the good sense to remove her shirt, skirt, and shoes, before collapsing into bed beside James. Severus set James’s shoes at the end of the bed and then stood to leave, only to stumble as James’s hand tangled in his robes.

James mumbled something and tugged.

“What? Speak up, Potter.” Severus was too drunk to deal with more shenanigans tonight.

“Bed.” Potter tugged him again.

“Yes. You are in bed, and I am trying to get to mine.” Severus tried to tug his robe free of Potter’s grasp, only to find himself yanked onto the mattress. Before he could disentangle himself, Lily had wrapped herself around one arm, and James had thrown both an arm and a leg over him. He wriggled, trying to get free, but this only made them hold him more tightly.

“Merlin’s beard,” he sighed and then resolved to deal with this in the morning. He was too drunk to think any harder.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning was even more awkward. Severus woke to James’s morning erection pressed into his backside and his hand cupping Lily’s breast. He tried not to move, hoping one or both of them would eventually shift and that he would then be able to sneak free.

Lily’s breast pressed even more firmly into his hand, and he heard her moan. He slowed his breathing even further, hoping to seem still asleep. He heard her sigh and then realized that she was moving gently. Opening an eye slowly, he saw that Lily’s free hand was under the blanket and seemed to be moving rhythmically over her lower half. He shut his eyes hard and felt himself blushing.

Suddenly, he felt James’s erection shift and press against him. James voice whispered in his ear, “Isn’t she stunning like this?”

His arm reached around Severus to cup the same breast he was holding, keeping Severus from being able to remove his hand.

“They’re perfect. Just the right size for my hand.” He squeezed gently. “And her nipples, Severus. You’ve never had anything like them in your mouth, I guarantee.”

Severus could hear Lily moaning at James’s words and watched James’s hand move from Lily’s breast to trace along her collarbone. “She’s wanted you in our bed for a while now. Won’t you touch her, Severus? She’s being such a good girl.”

Lily’s head tossed. She seemed a little overwhelmed, but Severus heard her breathe out a “please” and felt his last restraint vanish. His fingers tightened on her breast, pinching her areola, watching her face tighten in pleasure at his touch.

James remained at his back, his presence warm and his erection arousing. As Severus used his hands and mouth to pleasure Lily, James never stopped talking, telling Severus exactly what Lily wanted him to do. He kissed her, hands fumbling with her camisole, until he could taste the nipples James had praised so highly. He brought her to a first orgasm with just her own hand on her clitoris and his mouth on her breasts.

As soon as she caught her breath, James whispered in his ear and pushed him further down the bed. Slightly overwhelmed at the suggestion, Severus obeyed easily and found himself with his mouth pressed against Lily’s vulva before his rational brain had fully processed what he was doing. As he licked at her clit and cunt, Severus looked up to see James’s dark head bent over Lily’s pale body, his mouth and hands busy with the beautiful breasts that Severus had just left.

Severus tried to work in time with James, and eventually they brought Lily to a second orgasm, this one loud and hard enough to leave her shaking with aftershocks. She pushed them away with a “please no more” and laid sated on the bed. Severus was still watching her when he felt a warm hand move up his leg.

“May I?” James gestured toward his erection, and Severus closed his eyes and nodded.

He felt James push him back onto the sheets, felt his rough hand wrap around his cock, felt James’s bare erection against his thigh, and then felt himself succumb to orgasm embarrassingly quick. He opened his eyes just in time to see James’s face contort and feel his hot semen against his thigh. They both lay panting and spent on the mussed sheets.

James kissed him, and Severus kissed him back. And then Lily was there, her softer lips pressed against each of theirs in turn.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next time Severus woke, it was to soft hands tracing his knuckles and to a much larger hand resting firmly against his naked hip. He could tell James was still dozing slightly, and so he kept his voice soft as he asked Lily how long she had wanted him to sleep with them.

She smiled and whispered back, “I think it was the day I caught you and James up in the attic. I mean, I think I wanted something long before then, maybe even back in Hogwarts, but that was the first time I realized what I wanted.”

Severus remembered the day they had organized the attic. It had been a nightmare, but he and James had both been fascinated and appalled by much of what they found. Severus had begun acting like a host on the daytime game shows that his mom had watched, and both he and James had found the job much more entertaining. Lily had walked in on them just as James decided to parade around in a tattered grey cloak as Severus mimed playing a Weird Sisters song.

“It was like you had forgotten you were Severus and James and were just having fun together. And my heart just lurched and I thought, ‘This is exactly what I want.’”

“James seemed supportive. Most men wouldn’t be too interested in sharing their wives outside of a Rouge Blanc contract.”

“We talked about offering you one. James thought it might be coercive since you’re our Seneschal.” Lily snuggled into his side. “If you’d prefer it, though, we can. Otherwise, we’d just like to have you here with us as much as you’d like.”

Severus gently traced her sternum. “I’ll think about it. I’d like to talk to James first. I’ve wanted you for a long time, and I don’t want to rush into anything too soon.”

James’s hand caressed Severus’s side. “What are we asking James about?” he yawned.

Severus tilted his head until he was looking James in the eye. “Lily indicated that this might be a regular thing. I wanted to know if it’s just her.”

James smiled and leaned into Severus’s lips. “It’s mutual.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Harry James! Return and hang up your items properly!”

Harry stopped his dash down the hall towards his room and trudged back to the entryway where his Papa stood looking at him with a very stern face.

“Sorry, Papa. I got too excited about playing and forgot.”

Behind Papa, Father winked at Harry and said, “We all forget things sometimes, Harry, but it’s important to think about how our actions can affect others. Your papa spends a lot of time on this house, and it’s not nice when we don’t take care of it.”

Harry hung up his cloak and backpack from school in the cubbies on the wall. “May I go play now?”

“You may play until supper. I’ll have Goody fetch you when it’s time.” Papa smiled at him as Harry ran back to his room, chattering about Quidditch the whole time.

“Why is he always my son when he misbehaves?” James snaked his arms around Severus and pulled him back against his chest.

“I definitely heard you call him Harry Severus just yesterday.”

“He was chatting with the snakes in the garden again, which is such a Slytherin thing to do.”

Severus turned in his arms and looked down at James. “Should we be worried about that? Parseltongue is not a usual trait for a wizard.”

James shook his head. “He’s five. It may just be accidental magic.”

James leaned up and kissed Severus thoroughly.

“You know, if we find Lily now, we should have a good half hour of quiet while Harry plays,” James murmured.

Severus smirked at him. “I like where your thoughts are, husband.”

**Author's Note:**

> My canon for this universe is that James, Lily, and Severus end up in a three-way marriage (because why can't we have that type of thing in a imagianry magical society!). And, since we are dealing with magic, Harry is the genetic child of all three -- green eyes, even wilder black hair, and maybe a more pronounced nose. And yes, his full name is Harry James Severus Potter. The second child (which they are headed to conceive at the end of the story here) is a girl they'll name Eileen Euphemia Potter.
> 
> Yes. He's Severus Prince-Potter. He changes his name when they get married because his father was an abusive asshole with whom Severus no longer wishes to share a name.
> 
> Let me know if you'd like to see more stories in this universe! I have an idea for showing Harry and Hermoine in this universe in a story that would explore a lot more of the details about the Rouge Blanc arrangement.
> 
> Comments and Kudos feed the muse!!!


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